Next, remove the leaves from the rosemary sprig and finely chop them. Sprinkle over of the prosciutto and then lay the pork tenderloin on top. Wrap the prosciutto round the pork and put in the pan, seam-side down. Now brush olive oil all over the top to evenly coat the prosciutto.

Roast for 25 minutes.

Cut any of the larger potatoes in half to give an even overall size.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, until tender. Drain and leave for 1 minute for the steam to evaporate.

Break off and discard the woody parts at the base of the asparagus stems by holding the stems and quickly bending them. The woody part will snap off.

Tie the stalks with string. Half fill a deep sided narrow pan with boiling water, add salt, then stand the asparagus in the pan and cover. The tips are then steamed. Simmer until just tender, about 4–5 minutes. Drain and leave for 1 minute for the steam to evaporate.

Add the asparagus to the pan with the potatoes. Now add a knob of butter and the chopped herbs. Gently toss to coat. Season, cover and keep warm while preparing the sauce.

Mix together the cream and the zest from the lemon and set to one side.

When the pork is cooked, remove from the pan onto a warm plate and cover. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the roasting pan on the hob, over a medium–high heat, and add the wine. Reduce by half. Turn down the heat and add the cream and let it bubble gently for 2 minutes. Then add a squeeze of lemon juice and season.

To serve, thinly slice the pork and divide among four plates. Pour the sauce over the pork slices and serve with the vegetables.

Individual servings of the Baked Alaska. Mini sponge flans are topped with raspberry jam and creamy ice cream, covered in a soft meringue, then quickly baked to set the meringue but leaving the ice cream frozen inside.

250ml good quality ice-cream, raspberry or strawberry (4 large scoops)

2 eggs, large (U.K.)/extra large (N.A.), whites only

pinch of cream of tartar

115g (4 oz) caster/superfine sugar (½ cup + 1 tbsp)

7g (¼ oz) flaked almonds (1½ tbsp)

Method

Remove the ice cream from the fridge to soften a little, about 10 minutes.

Fill each sponge flan with 1 tablespoon of conserve and level the top. Then, using an ice cream scoop, top with one large scoop of ice cream. Return to the freezer for at least one hour.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Sprinkle over the cream of tartar and whisk in the sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking well between each addition, until the mixture is stiff and shiny. Now, using a palette knife to spread the meringue, completely cover the sponges and ice cream. Then drawing upwards with the tip of a knife, make little swirls with the meringue. Freeze overnight.

Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F) (gas 8)

Now scatter the almonds over the meringue, then bake for 3–5 minutes until the meringue is just starting to brown. Serve immediately.

Tip

The prepared Alaskas can be left frozen for up to one month. Bake in the oven as directed above but leave for 15 minutes before serving.

You will also need a 12-hole muffin tray lined with paper baking cups.

Method

Preheat the oven to 190° (375°F) (gas 5)

Mix together the bran, flour, soda, and baking powder in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, using a ballon whisk, mix the egg and sugar together. Then whisk in the oil, buttermilk, and treacle one at a time. The mixture needs to be thoroughly combined and whisking the ingredients in separately makes this easier.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to mix.

Stir through the raisins until evenly distributed.

Now fill the paper baking cups using an ice cream scoop. Bake for 18–20 minutes until the tops feel firm to the touch and a fingertip will not leave an indentation. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.

Another summer favourite. These little parcels are delightful. Raspberries are folded in a creamy blend of mascarpone and cream cheese and then chilled. They are topped with a mixed berry compote and decorated with raspberries.

Line the four ramekin dishes with cling film/food wrap, overlapping the edges, and put to one side.

Beat together the cream cheese and mascarpone in a large bowl until smooth. (A food mixer or hand-held whisk does this easily.)

Now in a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then stir in the vanilla extract. Add to the cheeses and beat well to combine.

Reserve 12 raspberries for decoration and gently fold the rest into the cheese mixture.

Divide the mixture amongst the ramekins, tapping them a few times on the work surface to remove any air pockets. Fold excess film/wrap over the top and place in the freezer to become firm, about 45 minutes.

For the fruit compote

Meanwhile prepare the fruit compote. Place the fruit in a small pan and sprinkle over the sugar. Now cook the fruit over a medium heat until it starts bubbling. Then reduce the heat to a medium–low setting and, using a wooden spoon, break up any larger fruit pieces, mashing the fruit slightly. Gently cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

To serve

Unfold the cling film/food wrap from the top of the ramekins and invert each one onto a plate. Then peel off the rest of the film/wrap.

Spoon the fruit compote over the parcels and place 3 raspberries on each to decorate.

Place the raspberries in a small pan. They don’t have to be thawed but break up any raspberries frozen in a clump. Sprinkle over the sugar and add the zest of the lemon. Then squeeze the juice of the lemon into the pan.

Bring the juice to the boil over a medium heat and then reduce and gently simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and become syrupy.

Now press the raspberries and juice through a sieve to remove the seeds. This will leave a lovely thick syrup. Then leave to become cold.

While the raspberry purée is cooling, transfer the ice cream from the freezer to the refrigerator so it can soften up, about 30 minutes.

If the ice cream comes in a rectangular container, the raspberry ripple can be created in this container. However if it comes in a tub, scoop the ice cream into a 2 litre rectangular container which has a lid. Now break up the ice cream with a spoon.

Pour half the purée over the ice cream and quickly cut in with a palette knife using a few strokes. (Avoid over working or it will turn into a raspberry mess!!) Now pour over the remaining raspberry purée which will just run through any gaps.

Pop on the lid and return to the freezer. It will take about 3 hours to refreeze.

While the oven is heating up, place the baking tray/sheet in the oven to get hot.

Brush the hot tray/sheet with a little olive oil.

Now toss the potatoes in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a little salt. Then spread on the baking tray/sheet and roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, brush the salmon pieces with a little olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of herbes de Provence. Season.

After the potatoes have been roasting for 15 minutes, turn them, leaving a space in the centre of the tray/sheet to add the salmon pieces, and then return to the oven for 10 minutes.

While the salmon and potatoes are in the oven, slice the courgettes/zucchinis into 1.25cm (½ inch) rounds and put in a bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives (if using), the remaining olive oil, and herbes de Provence. Season. Now toss to coat.

After the salmon has been baking for 10 minutes, remove the tray/sheet from the oven, turn the potatoes again and spread all the vegetables around the salmon. Return to the oven and continue cooking for a further 10–12 minutes until the tomatoes are just starting to burst but still holding their shape and the salmon is cooked through.

This recipe makes 20 individual cakes of a light coffee sponge filled with finely chopped walnuts. They are sandwiched with a creamy coffee filling which is also used to coat the top. Each cake is then decorated with a half walnut. Scrumptious!

Using a food mixer or electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Now gradually add the beaten eggs. If the mixture begins to curdle, just add 1 tablespoon flour.

Using a large spoon, fold in the flour and then the coffee extract, milk, and chopped walnuts until combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin/pan and level the surface. Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes before turning out of the tin/pan to cool completely. Because of its size, the easiest way to do this is to place a wire rack over the top of the tin/pan, turn the rack over, lift off the tin/pan, and peel away the lining from the cake. Then place a second wire rack over the bottom of the cake and set the cake the right way up on the wire rack.

Meanwhile, to make the butter icing. Beat together the butter, icing/powdered sugar, vanilla and coffee extracts, together with 1½ tablespoons of hot water, until smooth.

To make it easier to decorate, cut the cake into two once it has completely cooled. Now slice each half horizontally through the middle and then sandwich back together using half the butter icing. Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cakes.

Cut each cake into 10 equal pieces and decorate each piece with a walnut half.

In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar for 2–3 minutes until really creamy, Then beat in the eggs and the vanilla.

Sift the flour into a separate bowl and add the soda, salt, and cinnamon. Then gradually stir into the creamed mixture until completely combined.

Next, stir in the oats and then carefully stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Drop by tablespoons onto the baking trays/cookie trays, spacing well apart, and bake for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave for 1 minute. Then, using a palette knife, place on wire racks to cool.

You may need to bake the cookies in two batches if you don't have enough baking trays/cookie sheets to use all the mixture. Leave the trays/sheets to cool down before spooning on the remaining mixture.

Preparing the apples as a purée and then mixing with meringue make these filled crêpes very light. They are finished off in the oven where they will puff up and look quite impressive. Then a dusting of cinnamon – this a very different type of crêpe.

You will also need a shallow-rimmed, lightweight pan, 20–23cm (8–9inch) in diameter with rounded sides for the crêpes and four shallow, ovenproof dishes, each large enough to take two folded and filled 15cm (6 inch) crêpes.

Method

First make up the batter for the crêpes. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Break the egg into the well and, using half the milk, gradually whisk the egg and milk into the flour, using a balloon whisk. Once a smooth consistency is reached and lots of bubbles rise to the surface, add the rest of the milk quickly. Do not over-mix.

Or use an electric mixer. First mix the egg and milk together then mix in the sifted flour and salt until the batter is smooth and lots of bubbles rise to the surface. Be careful not to over-mix.

Let batter rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, quarter and core the apples and place in a large pan. Add the water, cover the pan, and cook over a low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced to a pulp.

Now to cook the crêpes. Get the pan really hot and then reduce to a moderate heat – about the temperature needed for frying an egg. Use oil or butter to grease the pan. If using oil, use groundnut or another flavourless oil (not olive oil) and pour a little in a small bowl. If using butter, melt a large knob of butter in the pan and then pour into a small bowl. Add a little oil or butter to the pan and tilt the pan to cover the base. It should just glisten, not run with oil or butter.

Stir the batter, then pour about 45ml (3 tablespoons) of batter in the centre of the pan for each crêpe. Immediately lift and tilt the pan in all directions to spread the batter. You are aiming to make a 15cm (6 inch) crêpe.

Turn when the batter starts to curl away from the sides of the pan, the mixture begins to bubble and the underside is golden. It should take about a minute. If it seems a bit sticky, give it a couple of seconds more. Loosen the edge of the crêpe from the pan, then flip it over with a palette knife and cook until the underside is golden. Slip each cooked crêpe from the pan directly onto a piece of kitchen paper which will absorb any grease and keep it light and dry. Repeat the process with the rest of the batter, greasing the pan each time, until you have 8 crêpes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) (gas 6).

Now once the apples have been reduced to a pulp, turn up the heat and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes until thick. Stir continuously to prevent the apple catching on the bottom of the pan.

Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and stir to melt the sugar.

Now to make the meringue. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff.

Add the remaining sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition, until the meringue is glossy.

Stir a quarter of the meringue into the apple to loosen it a little, then fold in the rest.

Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of the meringue mixture over half of each crêpe. Then fold the other half of the crêpe over the meringue mixture.

Grease the ovenproof dishes with butter and place two crêpes in each dish, a little apart so they are not touching. Bake for 10–12 minutes until puffed up and hot.

Dust with cinnamon and serve immediately before the soufflé has a chance to sink.

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Welcome to my blog

My lifetime collection of recipes, gathered while living in the U.K. and North America.

They are written to work wherever you live. They will now be shown in grams, ounces and cups, and any differences in the names of ingredients will still be mentioned. (Flour has been measured by lightly spooning it into the cup, rather than scooping and levelling it directly from the container.)

It will take me a little while to add the cups to those already on the blog, so please bear with me – I will get to them all.